- published: 22 Sep 2010
- views: 168165
Coordinates: 52°56′10″N 9°28′15″W / 52.93611°N 9.47083°W / 52.93611; -9.47083
The Cliffs of Moher (Irish: Aillte an Mhothair) are located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They rise 120 metres (390 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head and reach their maximum height of 214 metres (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower, eight kilometres to the north. A round stone tower near the midpoint of the cliffs, the tower was built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien. From the cliffs and from atop the tower, visitors can see the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, the Maumturks and Twelve Pins mountain ranges to the north in County Galway, and Loop Head to the south. The cliffs rank amongst the top-visited tourist sites in Ireland and receive almost one million visitors a year. The closest settlements are Liscannor (6 km south) and Doolin (7 km north).
The cliffs take their name from an old fort called Moher, which once stood on Hag's Head, the southernmost point of the cliffs. The writer Thomas Johnson Westropp referred to it in 1905 as Moher Uí Ruis or Moher Uí Ruidhin. The fort still stood in 1780 and is mentioned in an account from John Lloyd's A Short Tour Of Clare (1780). It was demolished in 1808 to provide material for a new telegraph tower. The present tower near the site of the old Moher Uí Ruidhin was built as a lookout tower during the Napoleonic wars.
once there was a time
when no man had ever touched the earth
all that has been built was balanced
and so was man's birth
come with me
and you'll see
you've been put here for a reason
use your powers well
keep respect for all
because on my surface you will dwell
when the morning comes
we find our way in life
her powers make the trees look green
the sun will laugh to flowers in the sand
I came through
another night...
your disgrace for me
has brought up shame on my behalf
what we've seen so far
feels like you're tearing up my scars
on my recall
I've shown you all
you careless fools
I make the rules
the sun will laugh to flowers in the sand
I came through